Power steering fluid filter assembly

In a power steering fluid filter assembly having a housing defining an interior chamber having an upstream end and downstream end, said housing being substantially cylindrical having a substantially circular cross-section and longitudinal axis and at least one filter element through which fluid flowing through said housing passes, the improvement comprising:

• a plurality of inlet nozzles (inlet nozzles), each of which are selectively removable at the upstream end of said housing, said inlet nozzles having same sized cylindrical protrusions for fitting within said housing and differentially sized hose barbs for fitting within differentially sized hoses feeding power steering fluid to said housing, wherein the differentially sized hose barbs of the plurality of inlet nozzles change an inlet interior diameter of the housing having the at least one filter element;
• a plurality of outlet nozzles (outlet nozzles), each of which are selectively removable at the downstream end of said housing, said outlet nozzles having same sized cylindrical protrusions for fitting within said housing and differentially sized hose barbs for fitting within differentially sized hoses through which power steering fluid exiting said housing passes, wherein the differentially sized hose barbs of the plurality of outlet nozzles change an outlet interior diameter of the housing having the at least one filter element.

A method of installing a filter assembly within a power steering fluid line comprising:

• providing a power steering fluid filter assembly comprising:
• a housing defining an interior chamber having an upstream end and downstream end, said housing being substantially cylindrical having a substantially circular cross-section and longitudinal axis and at least one filter element through which fluid flowing through said housing passes;
• a plurality of inlet nozzles (inlet nozzles), each of which are selectively removable at the upstream end of said housing, said inlet nozzles having same sized cylindrical protrusions for fitting within said housing and differentially sized hose barbs for fitting within differentially sized hoses feeding power steering fluid to said housing, wherein the differentially sized hose barbs of the plurality of inlet nozzles change an inlet interior diameter of the housing having the at least one filter element;
• a plurality of outlet nozzles (outlet nozzles), each of which are selectively removable at the downstream end of said housing, said outlet nozzles having same sized cylindrical protrusions for fitting within said housing and differentially sized hose barbs for fitting within differentially sized hoses through which power steering fluid exiting said housing passes, wherein the differentially sized hose barbs of the plurality of outlet nozzles change an outlet interior diameter of the housing having the at least one filter element;
• and removable clips for releasably retaining said inlet and outlet nozzles to said housing;
• said method further comprising:
• selecting an inlet nozzle that comprises a hose barb sized to snugly fit within a power steering hose line upstream of said filter assembly and retaining the cylindrical protrusion of that nozzle within said housing and selecting an outlet nozzle that comprises a hose barb sized to snugly fit within a power steering hose line downstream of said filter assembly and retaining the cylindrical protrusion of that nozzle within said housing;
• and
• inserting said inlet nozzle hose barb within said upstream power steering hose line and inserting said outlet hose nozzle barb within said downstream power steering hose line.